Dear Auntie,

I wake up every morning to more bad news from around the world. At this point, certain things don’t make me feel anything; they just leave me numb and blank. I don’t have the energy to even think about it anymore, or perhaps I simply don’t want to.

I used social media, mostly Instagram, every day for hours but I found that disturbing things came up more often than inspirational, hopeful and healthy content. I have limited my social media use to around 15 minutes a day. But even after these 15 minutes, I close the app and stare at the wall not knowing what to do.

‘Social Media Leaves Me Feeling Depressed’

What can I do about all the wars, hunger, corruption and abuse happening around the world? If I delete my social media apps completely, I feel I am being selfish and heartless. However, if I keep the app, I feel sick to my core every day.

Kindly help me out in this matter.

Angrily Depressed

Dear Angrily Depressed,

The feeling that you are describing is not heartlessness. Sometimes, when we are exposed to too much suffering, our minds reach their limit. The numbness you are experiencing can be a sign that you are emotionally exhausted.

You should not feel guilty about protecting yourself from social media. While natural disasters and other tragedies are extremely unfortunate events, we are not required to watch every calamity as it unfolds in the world to prove that we care about it and the people who are affected by it. When you delete or take a long break from Instagram, or even simply choose what you will be consuming, it does not make you selfish.

In fact, I would say that if 15 minutes of Instagram leaves you staring at a wall feeling sick, then perhaps even 15 minutes is more than you need right now. So, please give yourself permission to step away completely for a while. Get your news from one or two reliable sources at a particular time of the day rather than allowing an algorithm to decide what you allow to seep into your head all day.

But if you delete your social media, think carefully about what you will replace it with. You don’t want to leave a vacuum that is difficult to fill, because you may eventually find yourself returning to social media.

I strongly suggest that you choose something that you genuinely care about and try to do something that is within your reach. You are a sensitive person who is aware of the world and its problems and who cares about what is going on around you. Start by donating to causes that you care about whenever you can.

Better still, volunteer your time to one of them. Help someone around you, in any way. There are still many people in this country who never had the opportunity to learn to read or write, so perhaps you can help someone to do so.

Look for small ways to help people around you. You cannot fix wars, corruption or hunger by yourself. No individual can. And you can care about the world without carrying the entire world on your shoulders.

Disclaimer: If you or someone you know is in crisis and/or feeling suicidal, please go to your nearest emergency room and seek medical help immediately.
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Published in Dawn, EOS, September 6th, 2026